Pace sensation Shamar Joseph made history on February 13 by becoming the first West Indian to win the Men's ICC Player of the Month award for his outstanding performance in the Australia Test series. Meanwhile, in the women's category, Ireland's explosive young batter Amy Hunter notched the honour for her dominance against Zimbabwe.
The ICC announced the award winners for January on February 13, following the announcement of shortlists last week.
Shamar Joseph's historic Gabba show
Joseph had an impressive beginning to his West Indies journey. Drafted into the team for their Test series against Australia, the 24-year-old left an immediate mark by dismissing Steve Smith with his debut delivery in international cricket.
During his maiden appearance in Test cricket in Adelaide, he secured five wickets in the first innings, including the crucial dismissals of Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, and Smith. However, it was his performance in the second Test in Brisbane that will be etched in memory for a long time.
In the second innings, tasked with defending a modest total of 216 to thwart an Australian victory, Joseph took 7 wickets for 68 runs, with four of them being bowled out, ultimately dismissing the home side just eight runs short of the target.
This win led the West Indies to secure a historic 1-1 draw in the series, with Joseph clinching the Player of the Series award for his remarkable debut. This recent achievement marks him as the first West Indian to win the men's award since its introduction in January 2021.
"To get such an award on the world stage feels special. I totally enjoyed every moment of that experience playing for West Indies in Australia, especially the magic of the final day at the Gabba. Taking the wicket to win the match was a dream! "It was a truly memorable moment for me, and I just want to continue to work hard and deliver more match-winning performances for the West Indies with the ball; and when required also with the bat”, Joseph said, as quoted by PTI.
Amy Hunter's explosive batting display
18-year-old Hunter is among the emerging young talents making waves on the international scene. Following a quiet start to the month in the ODI series, Hunter showcased her explosive batting prowess with a series of impressive performances in the T20I series in Harare.
In the first T20I, the 18-year-old wicketkeeper-batter smashed an impressive 101 not out off just 66 balls at the top of the order, guiding the away side to a 57-run victory.
In the subsequent two matches, Hunter scored 77 and 42 runs respectively, contributing significantly as Ireland clinched the series win away from home.
Throughout the three T20Is in the month, she accumulated a total of 220 runs at an impressive strike rate of 144.73. This remarkable performance made her the first Ireland player to receive the award since Arlene Kelly won it last August.
"It's been an amazing start to the year, with two convincing series wins against Zimbabwe. I am pleased to have been able to contribute to the team's success and hope to continue to do so,” said Hunter.
Joseph surpassed other top Test performers of the month, including England's Ollie Pope and Australia's Josh Hazlewood, while Hunter emerged victorious ahead of the top Australian duo of Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney.
(Powered by AI, Inputs by PTI)
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